My son deserves to live

Six-year-old Tyler-Lee Ouldcott has been refused a kidney transplant depsite his parents being a match

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THE mum of ‘warrior’ Tyler-Lee Ouldcott says she will fight every step of the way after doctors overturned a decision to give her son a life-saving kidney transplant.

Gemma Plevin says her superstar six-year-old has earned the right to live after continuing to defy the odds against him since birth and has fought every battle he has faced.

Now the family are fighting their biggest battle yet after the decision not to give him the life-saving operation has left Tyler’s parents feeling like doctors are ‘playing god’ with their son’s life.

Tyler was born with West Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. Paul and Gemma, of Bowen Cooke Avenue, were told to expect the worst but through every setback and spell in hospital, Tyler fought on.

However in March, as well as his other problems, he developed Nephrotic Syndrome, a condition where the ‘filters’ in the kidney become ‘leaky’ and large amounts of protein leak from the blood into the urine.

He now has to have dialysis three times a week at Alder Hey and Paul and Gemma have undergone tests to see if they were compatible for kidney donation.

Both were deemed a match.

Despite preparing the family and Tyler, for the operation, doctors have now told the couple that they won’t go ahead with surgery because they fear he won’t pull through.

Gemma said: “I am absolutely livid with the decision.

“How can they say how Tyler will be after surgery?

“Everything he has faced in the past he has conquered.

“Just because he cannot walk or talk does not mean he shouldn’t have a chance at life.

“We were told Tyler wouldn’t make it to his second birthday and yet here he is.

“If Tyler had no quality of life at all then I could perhaps understand a medical decision like that, but when Tyler is well, he laughs, communicates in his own way and is fully involved with everything we do as a family. His brothers idolise him.

“They should be trying everything possible. To me it comes down to money. To just say he won’t pull through is like passing him off and signing his death certificate.”

Gemma and Paul are now looking for a second opinion.

They have approached Great Ormond Street hospital and are also looking to see if anything can be done abroad.

In the meantime, they have to continue to get up at 4.30am with Tyler to make the three times a week trip to Liverpool for the four-hour process.

Because he cannot have the transplant, Tyler will need dialysis for the rest of his life.

“However this can only continue as long as lines into his blood remain infection free.

Gemma added: “Tyler’s future is still uncertain and we are under no illusion about his long-term diagnosis.

“Everything Tyler has ever needed we have had to fight tooth and nail for. But we will continue to fight because he is our son and deserves every chance to live.

“Whether it be campaigning, or fundraising, we know it is going to be a long process but we will do whatever it takes to keep our son with us for as long as possible.